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5 Healthy and DELICIOUS Smoothie Recipes

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all 5 smoothies in cups with ice, blueberries, and almond milk on the side

Here are the 5 smoothie recipes I make constantly! They’re SUPER healthy, incredibly delicious, and come together in only a few minutes. These healthy smoothies are the perfect quick, easy, and portable breakfast or snack!

all 5 smoothies lined up in glasses with toppings on each

How to Make a (Delicious) Smoothie

  • Pick your frozen fruits. Every smoothie recipe starts with a curated selection of frozen fruit. The frozen fruit is what you’ll taste the most of in your smoothie, so make sure it’s a combination you’ll love!
  • Add in some healthy fats. Now that you have your fruit, it’s time to round the nutrition out with a bit of healthy fats. Healthy fats will slow the digestion of the naturally occurring sugar in fruit, which will stabilize your blood sugar and provide you with a long-term source of energy to get you through the morning! My favorite healthy fats for smoothies are unsweetened almond butter, avocado, or hemp seeds.
  • Consider adding fresh or frozen vegetables. Depending on which vegetable you choose to add to your smoothie, you most likely won’t be able to taste it at all! Spinach is always a great addition, yielding very little flavor yet TONS of nutrients. Or, steamed then frozen cauliflower is a perfect way to not only add nutrients to a smoothie, but helps to thicken it up as well.
  • Give it a boost with protein and/or powdered superfoods. I prefer unsweetened, unflavored, and plant-based protein in my smoothie recipes. However, feel free to use whichever protein powder is your favorite! Though in my chocolate peanut butter protein smoothie recipe, I highly recommend the Aloha Chocolate Protein Powder – it’s so darn good.
  • Select a liquid to blend. Any liquid will work! Water or milk will yield the least flavor, allowing the fruit to shine. Or, you can use juice for an even sweeter and fruitier smoothie if you’d like.
all 5 smoothies in cups with ice, blueberries, and almond milk on the side

Blenders 101

I’ve owned many blenders in my day, though these two have stood out the most:

  • Vitamix: I know …she’s expensive, but boy is she incredible! I purchase a refurbished Vitamix a few years ago after saving up for one. And let me tell ya, it was worth EVERY penny. There’s nothing the Vitamix can’t blend, it’s truly the most powerful blender on the market. So if you’re looking to splurge, the Vitamix is definitely the blender for you!
  • Nutribullet: The nutribullet is great for everyday use! It takes up very little counter space, and is super easy to clean. I had my first nutribullet for almost 10 years before it eventually died on me. And that was after daily use in a four-person household! Also, the larger cup is enough to blend up to two serving sizes. I really can’t recommend the nutribullet enough, it’s fairly priced and comes with a one year warranty.

Turn Any Smoothie Into a Smoothie Bowl

Turn any of the below smoothie recipes into a smoothie bowl! It’s seriously so easy, all you’ll need to do is start with half the amount of liquid listed in the recipe. Then, continue to add more liquid as needed or until it’s perfectly thick and smooth. Once smooth, transfer your smoothie to a bowl and top with some fresh fruit, a handful of granola, and maybe even a scoop of almond or peanut butter!

5 Healthy and DELICIOUS Smoothie Recipes
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5 Healthy and DELICIOUS Smoothie Recipes

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Course: Breakfast, Snacks, DrinksDifficulty: Easy
Servings

1

serving
Total time

5

minutes

Here are the 5 smoothie recipes I make constantly! They’re SUPER healthy, incredibly delicious, and come together in only a few minutes. These healthy smoothies are the perfect quick, easy, and portable breakfast or snack!

Ingredients

  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie

  • 1 1/2 frozen bananas

  • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder or 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter

  • 1 cup almond milk, or regular milk

  • Strawberry Banana Smoothie

  • 1 frozen banana

  • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries

  • 1 tablespoon almond or peanut butter, optional

  • 1 cup milk, I used almond milk

  • Glowing Green Smoothie

  • 1 cup frozen mango

  • 1/2 cup frozen peaches

  • 1 cup fresh spinach

  • 1/2 avocado

  • 1 cup water or milk

  • Tropical Smoothie

  • 1 cup frozen mango

  • 1/2 cup frozen pineapple

  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt, unsweetened

  • 1 cup coconut milk

  • Very Berry Smoothie

  • 1/2 cup frozen cherries

  • 1 cup frozen mixed berries

  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt, unsweetened

  • 1 cup water or milk

Directions

  • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Recipe Video

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30 Minutes or Less

Vegan Cashew Queso (Gluten-Free)

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Vegan Cashew Queso

This vegan cashew queso dip recipe is super quick and easy to make, requiring just 9 ingredients, 5-10 minutes, and 1 blender. It’s comprised of raw cashews, nutritional yeast, spices, and jalapenos blended to creamy perfection. This queso (along with your choice of crunchy tortilla chips) is a perfect appetizer dish for Mexican night with your friends or fam!

If you need a delicious dip for a Mexican dinner night, a party, or even just for yourself, look no further than this vegan cashew queso! It’s made with just a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand and is 100% healthy.

Although it differs from your traditional Mexican queso (excludes the cheese and meat), I promise you won’t even miss the cheese – the cashews and nutritional yeast take the place of it quite nicely! Super quick and easy to make, this queso is perfect for serving with nachos, burrito bowls, tacos, and more!

MAIN INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE VEGAN CASHEW QUESO

  • Cashews – This dip gets its creaminess from raw cashews. Not only do cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts, they’re also loaded with iron and magnesium.

  • Nutritional Yeast – This is a deactivated yeast that contains B-complex vitamins and provides a “cheesy” flavor to vegan dishes.

  • Lemon Juice – Juice the lemons yourself for the best flavor, or use bottled if that’s what you have at home.

  • Jalapenos – Bring on the spice!

ADJUST THIS VEGAN CASHEW QUESO RECIPE TO YOUR DIET

  • Dairy: Sub the almond milk for regular milk.

TIPS FOR MAKING VEGAN QUESO

  • To make this easy vegan cashew queso, all you really need is a blender. I recommend soaking your cashews ahead of time if you have a standard blender. However, if you have a high-speed one, you can even skip that for a faster dip.
Vegan Cashew Queso (Gluten-Free)
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Vegan Cashew Queso (Gluten-Free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: AppetizersCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

5

minutes
Total time

10

minutes

This vegan cashew queso dip recipe is super quick and easy to make, requiring just 9 ingredients, 5 minutes, and 1 blender. It’s comprised of raw cashews, nutritional yeast, spices, and jalapenos blended to creamy perfection. This queso (along with your choice of crunchy tortilla chips) is a perfect appetizer dish for Mexican night with your friends or fam!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 5-10 minutes

  • ¾ cup almond milk or water

  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • ½ teaspoon cumin

  • ½ teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 (14 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained

  • 2 tablespoons pickled jalapenos, finely chopped

Directions

  • Soak the raw cashews in boiling hot water for 5-10 minutes, then rinse cashews and add to a blender.
  • Add all other ingredients to the blender except diced tomatoes and pickled jalapenos. Blend mixture until completely smooth.
  • Transfer vegan queso to a small saucepan over medium-low heat then stir in the fire roasted diced tomatoes and pickled jalapenos. Once warm, remove from the heat and serve.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Storage: This can last up to 5 days in the fridge.
  • Pair this with a spicy margarita to round out this delicious appetizer. (Link below!)

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OTHER VEGAN MEXICAN DISHES

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Dairy-Free

Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)

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overhead image of vegan graham crackers on a table

These vegan graham crackers are also gluten and refined sugar-free! This easy recipe bakes up deliciously soft cookies and crumbly cookies. Enjoy these vegan graham crackers with a thick slather of peanut butter, some toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate, or simply on their own as a healthy snack or dessert!

vegan graham crackers witha glass of almond milk and rolled oats

I’d like to start off by thanking the person that first invented s’mores. Graham crackers are great, but let’s be honest they’d be nothing without the s’more. S’mores put graham crackers on the map. And it wasn’t until I had leftover boxes of this crispy cookie lying around from s’more-making that I realized how perfect they truly are. They’re soft, light, crumbly, and not to sweet. Graham crackers deserve a moment of their own and I am here to give them that. Think about this for a second – why don’t we place this sweet cracker in the same lineup as say a chocolate chip cookie? They are more than worthy of standing alone in my opinion. Not convinced yet? OK OK just make this vegan graham cracker recipe yourself and you’ll understand.

What You Need To Make Vegan Graham Crackers

Oat Flour – I love baking up my gluten-free treats with oat flour! Not only is it inexpensive, but it’s super easy to acquire. I highly advise against purchasing pre-made oat flour, it’s simply not necessary. Instead, purchase a big bag of oats then grind them in a food processor or blender to make your own cheap and easy oat flour. Oat flour gives these vegan graham crackers their irresistibly soft texture. It also make them healthier and more nutritious!

Maple Syrup – Just a touch of maple syrup gives these gluten-free cookies a bit of caramel color and flavor. You’ll notice that I keep the amount of sweetener in this recipe low because these vegan graham crackers really don’t need much! Maple syrup is a delicious natural sweetener and much healthier than any refined sugar.

Vegan Butter – I use and love the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks in my vegan/dairy-free baked goods. Though any vegan butter will work here, just be sure to melt it completely before adding it to this recipe. You could also sub the vegan butter for melted coconut oil or regular butter if you’d like!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Add Dairy: Feel free to use regular milk and butter in place of the almond milk and vegan butter in this recipe.

Make it Nut-Free: Use soy, hemp, or coconut milk instead of almond milk to make this vegan recipe nut-free.

Add Gluten: I haven’t tested this myself, but you can try using 2 cups of all purpose flour instead of oat flour. If you give this a try, start with just the 2 cups then add a bit more flour until a dough forms. And of course, let me know how it goes!

Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)
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Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

16

cookies
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Chilling time

1

hour

These vegan graham crackers are also gluten and refined sugar-free! This easy recipe bakes up deliciously soft cookies and crumbly cookies. Enjoy these vegan graham crackers with a thick slather of peanut butter, some toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate, or simply on their own!

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups oat flour, see Notes

  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar, see Notes

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter or coconut oil, melted

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup almond milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • Mix together the oat flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  • Add in the melted vegan butter, maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until a dough forms.
  • Cover and transfer dough to the fridge for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Remove dough from fridge and roll out on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thick.
  • Cut dough into 2-inch squares, transfer to a baking sheet, poke the top of each graham cracker with a fork, then bake for 10-12 mintues.
  • Remove from oven, then let cool slightly on a baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Oat Flour: Make oat flour by grinding rolled oats in a blender or food processor until a fine flour forms and no large oat pieces remain.
  • Coconut Sugar: Feel free to use cane sugar or white sugar in place of the coconut sugar in this recipe!

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More Healthier Vegan Desserts

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30 Minutes or Less

Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oats (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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overhead image of peanut butter and jelly baked oats with milk and blueberries on the side.

These peanut butter and jelly baked oats are the most delicious way to start your morning! Creamy peanut butter, your favorite jelly, and just a touch of maple syrup are what make this recipe special. Whip up these peanut butter and jelly baked oats on mornings when you want something that’s perfectly sweet, comforting, and oh-so-satisfying.

overhead image of peanut butter and jelly baked oats with milk and blueberries on the side.

The baked oats life chose me. The carrot cake baked oats recipe I shared a few months back literally blew UP! Everyone was going crazy over that recipe, and tbh I don’t totally blame them. Though while the carrot cake version is delicious, I wanted to give you guys options. So I brainstormed some classic favorite flavor combos and ultimately landed on peanut butter and jelly. There is nothing more iconically wholesome than peanut butter and jelly. And when added to baked oats, the results is truly comfort food made HEALTHY.

What You Need To Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oats

Rolled Oats – Oats are an ideal breakfast, with plenty of vitamins, mineral, and health benefits! Feel free to use either rolled oats or quick oats in this recipe – both will work. I almost always have a bag of rolled oats in my house as an easy and versatile gluten-free grain.

Banana – You can use either a mashed banana or half a cup of apple sauce in this recipe. The mashed fruit act as a fort of egg-replacer in this vegan breakfast recipe.

Peanut Butter – I’d recommend opting for smooth peanut butter if you have it, but if not crunchy will work too. Though keep in mind that the peanut butter will be blended with all ingredients in the second step. Therefore, if you use crunchy, there’s a good chance it will be no longer crunchy by the end of this recipe.

Jam – Go crazy with this one! Literally use whatever jam or jelly your heart desires. I had some homemade blueberry jam lying around, so I used that. But i’m sure any jam or jelly flavor will taste incredible in these peanut butter and jelly baked oats!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Add Protein: Feel free to add a tablespoon of your favorite protein powder to increase the protein in these baked oats. If you end up adding protein powder, I’d recommend increasing the almond milk amount to 1/2 cup instead of 1/3 cup.

Make it Grain-Free: To make these peanut butter and jelly baked oats grain-free, use coconut flour in place of the rolled oats.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oats (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
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Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oats (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

1

serving
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

25

minutes

These peanut butter and jelly baked oats are the most delicious way to start your morning! Creamy peanut butter, your favorite jelly, and just a touch of maple syrup are what make this recipe special. Whip up these peanut butter and jelly baked oats on mornings when you want something that’s perfectly sweet, comforting, and oh-so-satisfying.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats

  • 1 banana, mashed

  • 1/3 cup almond milk, see Notes

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • pinch of salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 tablespoon jam of choice

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and lightly grease a ramekin.
  • Add all ingredients except the jam to a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Pour into ramekin, then swirl in the jam. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Almond Milk: Feel free to use any dairy-free milk you’d like instead of almond milk.

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30 Minutes or Less

Healthy Blueberry Donuts (V/GF)

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Healthy Blueberry Donuts Recipe

These healthy blueberry donuts are my favorite vegan spring treat! They’re soft, sweet, and bursting with juicy fresh blueberries. These donuts are light and nutritious, but taste just as goods as the ones you’d pick up at your local bakery. Serve these healthy blueberry donuts warm with a drizzle of blueberry glaze – YUM!

Healthy Blueberry Donuts

How Healthy Blueberry Donuts Came To Be

I love all food, but there is a special place in my heart for donuts. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is or how full I already am, I will NEVER turn down a donut. My personal favorite are cake donuts, I love that crispy outside and crumbly inside. Now I can’t ever give up regular deep-fried gluten and dairy-filled donuts, but I will try to supplement a few of my donut cravings (they come often) with a healthier donut version when I can. These healthy baked blueberry donuts are a riff off my apple cider donuts from last fall. I really wanted those apple cider donuts, but I also wanted something that felt and tasted more like spring. That’s how fresh blueberries entered my donuts and a gorgeously bright purple-y/pink blueberry glaze found its way on top.

I should also note that these healthy blueberry donuts are in fact SO healthy, you could eat them for breakfast. This recipe includes healthy grains, healthy fats, and just a touch of sugar. If I plan on enjoying these for breakfast, I’ll leave a couple without icing and top them with almond butter instead. This extra healthy variation also makes for a great afternoon snack!

What You Need To Make Healthy Blueberry Donuts

Oat Flour – You can make oat flour by taking dry rolled oats and blending them until you achieve a flour-like consistency. There is also always the option to buy already ground oat flour at the store, but I find making it myself to be much cheaper and super easy. If you make the oat flour yourself, be sure to blend it until no large oat pieces remain. We don’t want chunks of rolled oats in our donuts, just a nice smooth flour.

Flax Eggs – If you’re not vegan, you can use 1 real egg in place of the flax eggs. Though if you’re looking to make these donuts vegan, combine 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal with 6 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Whisk the flaxseed meal and water together, then let it sit for at least 5 minutes or until it thickens. Once the flax “eggs” are thick, you’re free to use them in this recipe.

Non-Dairy Milk – Really any non-dairy milk will work here! I used almond milk which made delicious healthy blueberry donuts. Though you’re free to use any nut, seed, soy, or even cow’s milk you’d like.

Almond Butter – Feel free to use any nut or seed butter you’d like in this recipe. I prefer almond butter because it lends little-to-no almond flavor to these healthy blueberry donuts. Another flavorless nut butter option is cashew butter. Though feel free to use peanut butter, pecan butter, walnut butter, or even sunflower seed butter if you’d like.

Blueberries – I haven’t personally tried this recipe with frozen blueberries. The fresh blueberries bake up perfectly in my opinion, and I just can’t picture the frozen blueberries doing the same. Luckily, blueberry season begins this month so you shouldn’t have any trouble picking up a fresh pint of blueberries next time you’re at the store!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Add Dairy: Use 1 cup of cow’s milk instead of non-dairy milk in this recipe.
  • Use All-Purpose Flour: Swap out the oat flour for 1 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour instead.
  • Not Vegan: Use 1 egg instead of the flax eggs in this recipe.
  • Make it Nut-Free: Use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.
Healthy Blueberry Donuts (V/GF)
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Healthy Blueberry Donuts (V/GF)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

12

donuts
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

20

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

These healthy baked blueberry donuts are my favorite vegan spring treat! They’re soft, sweet, and bursting with juicy fresh blueberries. These donuts are light and nutritious, but taste just as goods as the ones you’d pick up at your local bakery. Serve these healthy blueberry donuts warm with a drizzle of blueberry glaze – YUM!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Cups Oat Flour, see Notes

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

  • 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

  • 2 Flax Eggs, see Notes

  • 1 Cup Non-Dairy Milk, see Notes

  • 1/2 Cup Creamy Almond Butter

  • 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar, see Notes

  • 1 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

  • 1/2 Cup Fresh Blueberries

  • Flor the blueberry glaze:

  • 1/4 Cup Fresh Blueberries

  • 1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Directions

  • Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit and lightly grease a donut pan.
  • Mix the oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
  • In a separate small bowl, mix together the flax eggs, non-dairy milk, almond butter, coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
  • Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold in the fresh blueberries
  • Fill your donut pan with batter and bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove from molds and let cool on a wire rack.
  • Add the glaze ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Then top cooled donuts with blueberry glaze.

Notes

  • Oat Flour: Make oat flour by grinding rolled oats in a blender until a flour forms.
  • Non-Dairy Milk: I used almond milk, but you can use any non-dairy milk you’d like.
  • Coconut Sugar: You can use white sugar or cane sugar instead.

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More Delicious and Healthy Dessert Recipes

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